Spring shackle



H. G. TRENCH SPRING SHACKLE March 25, 1930.

.Original Filed Jan. 18, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Tia-'3.

45 adequately lubricated from a ce'ntralvehicle o i -mi application fledJanuary s,

Patented Mar. 25, 193p UNITED STATES time;

PATENT FFlCE THENCE, OF HARTFORD, CONNEGTIOOT, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNIONTRUST COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO SPRING SEAGKLEThisinvention relates to shackles for vet hicle springs,and moreparticularly to a form 6 1,042,173 that issued on October '20, 1912.

This ap lication is'a division of my copending app ication Serial No.81,947 that was filed on January 18, 1926, and is entitled Springshackles.

Constructions of this character are employed for connecting vehiclesprings with the vehicle chassis in such manner as to permit relativemovement between the end of the spring and the vehicle frame. Theshackle unit herein described is primarily adapted to permit movement ofthe end of the spring relative to the vehicle frame, both in alongitudinal and lateral direction, while yieldingly restraining suchmovement, and to dampen relative motion of the spring, in order toprevent rattling or "slapping of the shackling mechanism duringoperation of the vehicle.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved form ofshackling unit embodying the characteristic advantages of "my previouslyproposed shackling unit,

which shall be more easily assembled and shall have a single adjustingmechanism for regulating the degree of pressure applied by theshackleplates to the head of the vehicle spring and to the portion of the framethat carries the shackling unit.

An additional object of my invention is to provide a mechanism that maybe manufactured at less cost than the mechanism heretofore proposed. I

A further object of my invention is to provide a shackle assembly thatis secured in operative position by a single adjusting nut andthatembodies resilient shackle plates.

An additional object of the invention is .to silient shackle plate thatis adapted to be lubricating system. 1

P Another object of the invention is to proprovide a shackle unitembodying a re- 1926, Serial No. 81,842. Divided and this applicationfiled Kay 26, p 1927. Serial" No.19'4j3294.

used without bushings in .the vehicle spring head and frame support. I

These and other objects will be apparent from a study of theaccompanying drawings. wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, shown partially in section, of aform of the shackle unit for connecting a vehicle spring to the frame ofa vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view, shown partially in section, of ashackle unit embodying a'pair ofopposed flexible shackle plates andreadilymemovable bearing cups; an t Fig. 3 is a corresponding View of amodi fied form of the shackle shown in Fig. 2 employing a plurality ofleaf springs as side members.

The shackle unit shown in the accompanying drawings is used to connect avehicle frame portion 1 with one end of a vehicle supporting spring 2,the vehicle parts being broken away close to the shackle unit becausethey constitute no part of my present in- -vention and serve only toillustrate the mountshackle plates 3 and 4:. Pintles 5 and 6, that arerespectively carried by the frame 1 and the spring head 2, serve toconnect the head of the spring 2 With the frame portion 1.

The pintle 5 that is mounted in the frame is preferably provided with alongitudinally extending oil duct 8 that communicates with any desiredsource of lubricant supply through duct 9. The corresponding pintle 6 isrigidly secured in the eye 2 of the spring and is also provided with alongitudinally extending lubricating channel 11.

The shackle plate 3 is preferably a melleable casting that has asuitable pintle receiving bearing pocket 12 formed in one end and acorresponding pocket 13 formed in the other end thereof. Alongitudinally extending oil duct 14 connects these pockets for thesupply of lubricant from the duct 9 through the ducts 8,, and 14 to theduct 11 of the bottom pintle. The shackle plate 3 also has an v ofpressure against t aperture intermediate its ends for receiving theassembly bolt. 15 that extends through a corresponding aperture in theother shackle plate and that is provided with a suitable castellated nut16 that maintains the shackle in position.

The shackle late 4 is preferably for'medof 'is preferably formed ofpressed metal and that is adapted to take the wear resulting from themovement of the pintles relative to the shackle unit. Lubricantisconveyed to the bearing cups 17 from the channels Sand 11. The degree offlexure obtained in the spring plate 4 is so arranged as to give thedesired lateral pressure upon the spring head and the frame support. hisdesired, however, that the spring plate -be substantially flat in itsultimate adjusted position.

The bearing cups 17 are preferably of pressed metal having a bearingocket that is just large enough to snugly t over the end of thecorresponding pintle to provide a bearing support therefor. Each of thebearing cupsfits within the suitably formed aperture in thecorresponding end of the spring plate 4 which serves as a shackle platefor one side of the unit. 4

The operation of a shackle plate'of this character will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art. In addition to avoiding costlybushings, this construction avoids the use of a supplemental spring forimposing pressure tending to hold the shackle'plates against the springhead. It will also be noted that thepintle is entirely enclosed and thatdust and other foreign material is excluded from the connections by theclose fit of the' bearing cups with the spring head.

The form of shackle shown in Fig. 2 cmbodies a pair of opposed leafspring shackle plates 18 and 19 that engage bearing cups 17 and 20, oneof which is carried by each end'of the pintles. The bearing cups aresupported in suitable apertures formed in the opposed shackle'pla'tes 18and 19 in substan-.

tially the same manner as the bearing cups described in connection withFig. 1.

The adjustment of the nut 16 of the assembly bolt 15 draws the centralportions of the opposed leaf spring shackle plates 18 and 19 together asuflicient degree"to bring the shackle plates to substantially therelative positions shown in solid outline. The dotted line shows thepre-formed curve or bowthat' is formed in each shackle plate in order toobtain the desired degree of pressure on the bearing cups. The endportions of the spring are slightly convex relative to the flanges ofthe bearing cups carried thereby in order to insure tight seating of thecup against the frame and vehicle spring support.

A lubricating nipple 21 is carried by each of the outside bearing cups20 for the sugplly of lubricant to the bearing cup 17 carrie the remoteend of the pintles 7 and 10 throng the longitudinal lubrlcating channelextending through each pintle.

The shackle unit shown in Fig. 3 corresponds very closely to the shackleunit illustrated in F1g..2 except that a plurality of leaf springs 22,23 and 24 are substituted for the leaf spring shackle plates 18 and 19shown in Fig. 2'. This unit is intended for use with vehicles of largersize than the unit shownin Fig. 2 and, therefore, is made of more ruggedconstruction.

The shackle units embodyin opposed flexible shackle lates may be ma emuch lighter in weight if the extended vehicle frame support underliesthe head of the spring.- Each of theproposed forms of shackle units isintended to be used both as sus ension and as compression shackle.units. t will also be evident to those skilled in the art that the samegeneral structure employing the bearing cupscould be used withnon-resilient shackle plates if such were desired. If the lateral springpressure is not desired in this construction, resilient means may beomitted; .Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular formsof apparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure setforth, are/presented for purposes of explanation and illustration andthat various modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madeWithout departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is: i Y I 1. A shackle unit for vehicle springs comprisinga pair of spaced shackle plates, pintle bearing cups carried by saidplates, 2, pintle for each end of the shackle plates, a transversepressure applying assembly bolt connecting intermediate portions ofsaidplates, one of said plates being relatively yielding in order toimpose adjustable pressure hetween-the end portions of said plates.

2. A shackle unit for use in connection with vehicle supporting springscomprising a I shackle plate, an assembly bolt carried by anintermediate portion of said shackle plate,

shackle plate in which it is mounted, pintles journaled in said cupscarried in the end por tions of said shackle plates, and a nut carried 1by the end of said assembly bolt adapted to maintain said shackleunit inassembled condition. I 3. A vehicle spring shackle unit. adapted to.

connect movably related vehicle parts, comprisin a pair of shackleplates, a bolt adapted to raw portions of said respective plates towardeach other, a pintle carried by each of the parts of the vehicleconnected by the shackle, each of said shackle plates having an apertureformed at each end thereof, and' pintle-receiving cups mounted in theapertured end portions of the shackle plates and clamped between saidplates and vehicle parts.

4. A vehicle spring shackle unit adapted to connect movably relatedvehicle parts, comprising a pair of shackle plates each having openingsadjacent the ends thereof, a bolt adapted to draw portions of saidplates toward each other, a pintle receiving cup mounted in the openingin each end portion of each shackle plate, a pintle carried by each ofthe parts of the vehicle connected by the shackle, each of said cupsbeing provided with an outstanding annular flange clamped between theshackle plate in which it is mounted and the pintle carrying vehiclepart, each cup being adapted to securely seat against the vehicle partcarrying the pintle to exclude dust and foreign material from the pintleand to provide a substantially closed lubricant receptacle for thesupporting pintle.

5. A vehicle spring shackle comprising a pair of resilient yieldingshackle plates, each of said shackle plates carrying a removablepintle-receiving cup at each end thereof, and being laterally flexiblebetween the cup-holding portions and a transverse assembly boltconnecting the shackle plates intermediate the ends thereof to draw saidshackle plates together upon the bearing cups and to maintain said unitin assembled position.

- 6. A vehicle spring shackle unit adapted to -40 connect relativelymovable vehicle parts, each of which carries a substantially rigidlymounted pintle, comprising a pair of leaf spring shackle plates curvedoutwardly in opposite directions when in unstressed condition, apintle-receiving bearing cup carried by apertures formed in each of saidshackle plates each of the end. portions of said shackle plates incontact with a bearing cup being slightly convex relative to saidbearing cup to yieldingly maintain said bearing cup securely seatedagainst the vehicle part carrying the corresponding pintle, each of saidpintles having a longitudinally extending lubricant supply channelandone of the bearing cups having a pintle carrying a lubricant supplynipple. -In testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

HARRY G. TRE CH.

